Aspiring Tour Pro Cole Cisbani Looks to the Future

Cole Cisbani will be Happy Gilmore if it helps him become a tour professional.

"That could be why I hit it so long," Cisbani said with a laugh.

The 6-foot-3, hockey-player-turned-golfer picked up the game just nine years ago after his father, local golf pro Ray Cisbani, took over a driving range. Now, at 22, this left-handed long hitter has big plans after playing on scholarship at Saint Leo University in San Antonio, Florida.Cisbani wants to be the next big splash on the PGA Tour, similar to young guns Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler.

"I just fell in love with golf," he said. "There isn't really any particular reason — I just want to continue playing competitively, and feel that it's possible for me to become a successful tour pro."

Cisbani has taken to promoting himself in the hopes of gaining a major sponsor. After six months, he’s still looking. He has received financial support from local businesses, family and friends.

As a local guy who graduated from Mitchell High in Trinity, just a stone's throw away from Fox Hollow Golf Club, Cisbani knows it’s not easy to make it as a tour pro. It requires success at several levels, including the Nationwide Tour and/or Q-School to earn a PGA Tour card. However, right now it’s about finding a way to get financially backed to cover the cost of being an aspiring tour player.

"It hasn't been easy because it's tough to get people to donate, just with the times and all," Cisbani said. "I know that if I start doing well, I'll get more attention, especially from wins.

"People tell me all the time it's a tough road, and there are guys who play on the Canadian and Hooters Tours to gain experience. It's a grind and I know it's a grind — it's not like other sports where there's a draft. You have to do it yourself, and usually, it's a life-long journey to get where you're going."